REACHnet Enhances Clinical Data Warehouse by Nearly 1 Million Texas Patients

PCORnet-funded Research Action for Health Network (REACHnet) is a clinical data research network of partner health systems in Louisiana and Texas. Clinical data from REACHnet partner systems is organized into the PCORnet Common Data Model, a structure that standardizes data for research. Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH), the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas, is a unique contributor to the REACHnet clinical data warehouse. BSWH is also one of the largest not-for-profit systems in the United States, with over 1,000 patient care sites and 48 hospitals covering a geographic expanse from Austin to Dallas.

In the initial partnership, BSWH data was limited to clinical records from select BSWH locations in the north Texas region because of disparate sources of EMR data within the large BSWH system. In April 2017, REACHnet successfully acquired clinical data from remaining locations, specifically from BSWH central Texas sites. This addition increased the BSWH data contribution for studies by nearly 1 million patients. The BSWH data makes the REACHnet data warehouse more robust because it expands the REACHnet patient pool beyond Louisiana and includes a large Hispanic patient population (~17% of patients). LPHI and REACHnet are excited to continue partnering with BSWH to expand research and engagement opportunities to patients in traditionally underrepresented in research, especially in the southern United States.